Walter norwood bean



Nu. 6I9,268. Patented Feb. I4, |899. W. N. BEAN.

BATON FOR POLICE.

(Application led Aug. 22, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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UNTTED v STATES PATENT OEEICE.

Y VALTER NORVOOD BEAN, OF ARLINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO IVILLIAMO. PARTRIDGE, OF SAME PLACE.

BATON FOR POLICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 619,268, dated February14, 1899.

Application filed August 22, 1898. Serial No. 689,231. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER` NoRWooD BEAN, of Arlington, Middlesexcounty, Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Baton for PolicePurposes, of which the followingis a specilication, reference being madeto the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a centrallongitudinal section of my improved baton. Fig. 2 is a centrallongitudinal section of one end of a baton,'show ing the deilexion ofthe spiral in use. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig.4 is a central longitudinal section of one end of a baton, showing amodification of my invent-ion.

The object of my invention is to provide a baton suliciently stiff andfirm to deliverl a severe blow in case of need, but so constructed thatfractures will not result.

In batons as previously made, the baton being circular in cross-section,the entire force of a blow against any comparatively hard and unyieldingsubstance was exerted upon a line along the surface of the batonparallel with its axis. It is often necessary in order to subdue arefractory prisoner to strike blows upon the head of the prisoner with aconsiderable degree of force, and it has been found that with theordinary baton made of wood or leather disks or other comparativelyunyielding material a blow sufficiently hard to subdue the prisoneroften resulted in a fracture of the skull, owing to the very limitedarea of the point of impact and the unyielding nature of the instrument.It has been attempted to meet the difficulty by padding the baton; butone result has been that with padding lighter blows, such as areordinarily sufficient, were rendered ineffective.

My improved baton meets both difficulties, for While under asufIiciently-strong impulse the surface will yield it is for ordinarypurposes as hard and unyielding as an ordinary wooden baton.

In the drawings,A is a core of wood or other suitable material ofsuitable size and shape according to the size and shape desired for thefinished article. In the drawings the handle end is shown as tapered. Atthe striking endadepression is formed around the wooden 5o core, leavingthe extreme end of full size. Around the wooden core is placed a coiledWire B, one end of the wire being secured at the handle end of theWooden core and the other end of the wire at the other end of the woodencore. The coiled wire is so wound that'the tapered end of the woodencore will fit snugly Within it, while that portion of the wooden corewhich is of uniform diameter will lill snugly the opposite end of thecoiled 6o wire, except at the point where the wooden core is cut away toform the depression.

The Wire B may be coiled so that each spiral will be in contact with thespirals upon either side of it or more openly coiled, and the size ofthe wire may be varied, according to the weight it is desired to givethe finished baton, and such modifications may be made Without departingfrom the spirit of my invention, although I have shown the coils of 7othe wire in the drawings as close together, which I believe to be thebest construction.

The Wooden core having been secured within the coiled wire, a coveringof leather or other material of a flexible character is placed over thecoiled wire and cemented or sewed and at the handle end a ferrulesecured in place to carry the ordinary swivel strapholder. This leathercovering is marked D, the ferrule d, and the swivel d. It will now 8o beclear that the completed baton is made up of a Wooden core, surroundedbya coil of wire, the wh ole covered with a casing of leather or othersuitable material. It will also be clear that the Wire coils which lieover the depres- V sion formed in the wooden core are in no Wisesupported, except by their own stiffness, against strains crosswise ofthe axis of the coil. The result is that when a blow is struck with thebaton, using that part of the baton 9o over the depression for thepurpose and using sufficient force, the coils will yield crosswise ofthe length of the baton, increasing the area of impact and distributingthe force of the blow over a larger area and through a longer space oftime, thus tending to prevent fractures, the yielding of the coilsserving as an automatic regulator of the force of the blow.

When a light blow is struck, the inherent stiffness of the coils willwithstand the force and the coils will be practically undisturbed.

Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings show the deflexion of the coils under theforce of a blow.

In Fig. 4L is shown a modification of my iny vention in which room forthe play of the spirals crosswise of the axis of the baton is obtainedby increasing the diameter of the spirals for a portion of the length ofthe core as distinguished from decreasing the diameter o f the' core toattain the same end. The principle and mode of operation are the same.

What I claim isl. The baton above described, made up of a core and aWire spirally arranged about the core and supported by the core, at bothends of the core, against lateral displacement of the spirals andunsupported by the core for a portion of the length of the core betweenthe ends, against lateral displacement of the spi- Y rals, substantiallyas described.

2. The baton above described, made up of a core recessed near one end, aWire spirally arranged about the core and supported by the core againstlateral displacement of the spirals, except at the recessed portion,substantially as described.

3. The baton above described, made up of a core; a Wire spirallyarranged about that core and supported by that core against lateraldisplacement of the spirals except for a portion of the length of thecore where the wire spirals are increased to a size in excess of that ofthe core, substantially as described.

WALTER NORVOOD BEAN.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH T. BRENNAN, OLIVER R. MITCHELL.

